Quote:

Jim: I'll have to admit, I got a smile out of the phrase "Suffice to say that Hyslop is no diplomat." I'd put it differently -- Hyslop (and Tormey) are a Bolton or Kirkpatrick type of diplomat rather than a Carter type of diplomat.

When I served on the board with them, the most refreshing thing about TH was the complete lack of bullcrap. We didn't always agree, but there was never any hiding behind platitudes -- if there was a problem, then the problem was addressed head on without the platitudes and evasions you see in so many non-profits.

The SSC board made a decision on a radical change of direction for SSC. It was put to a vote. I don't believe that the members of SSC who voted against it are stupid enough to have done so because of a name or color change. The underlying tension between the board and the membership is over whether radical change is needed. I can't think of anyone better than TH in helping lead radical change -- and I can't think of anyone worse at trying to make some half-rear-ended changes. These aren't half-rear-ended kind of guys.



Here's the deal: Hyslop took a very "my way or the highway" approach at the meeting. That may work in Greenville - a textile mill town that despite A LOT OF VERY POSITIVE changes in the last 20 years still looks up to a Yankee plutocrat like Roger Milliken like he's some sort of God. That's not how it works in the Lowcountry.

I spent four years in God's Country (Pickens County) and still today spend every available weekend in the Blue Ridge mountains about 45 minutes north of Furman. Northern Greenville County and western Dorchester County (the Edisto River) are two of my favorite places on the planet. But what works in Greenville is not necessarily going to work in Summerville and vice-versa. In Greenville, the boss man and the preacher man still rule most every detail of a lot of folks' lives. In some ways, it's amazing Summerville and Greenville are even in the same state. Down here, we are very independent to the point of being rebellious. We started an incredibly bloody 4 year civil war for no particular reason (we were bored with the standoff and tired of looking at union troops in the harbor so we just started a little artillery fire to see what would happen). That didn't work out so well. Maybe not agreeing to wear red jerseys (which really was the last issue of contention on which CESA would not bend) will be the death knell of soccer in the Lowcountry. I sort of doubt it.

My point is that CESA and SSC were on the precipice of reaching a very radical agreement. Obviously, Tormey and Hyslop were going to benefit from the agreement. You would have thought that Hyslop would have been on his best behaviour at the meeting. If you can't smile and be pleasant to people while at the same time being completely truthful and straight-forward, then folks are going to think you are arrogant if not downright full of contempt for them. Its not that hard to be pleasant while speaking the truth.